Yves Balmer

Saxophone Sonata

The seven movements of this work explore and exploit different aspects of the alto saxophone's protean virtuosity and expressiveness. Taken together, they illustrate the richness and potential of this instrument.

Like the baroque suites or sonatas for solo instrument, the movements are brief and highly characterised, revolving around a particular mode of playing, mood or energy.

The saxophone is a fascinating terrain for sound experimentation: its spectacular velocity, its agility in the different registers and sub-chromatic scales, its dazzling palette of nuances and timbres, its captivating and constantly evolving extended techniques make it a key instrument in the conquest of new musical spaces.

Although an initial version, consisting of the first three movements, was created under the title La voix intérieure, this composition is not linked to any pre-existing narrative or poetic programme. On the contrary, these fleeting movements are a dual expression of abstraction and fragility - that of sound, of sound matter and space, of musical forms and their organisation.

Each of the movements can be performed separately. Saxophonists are free to group several movements together according to the needs of their concert programmes, in any order they choose. The movements of this Saxophone Sonata may be interspersed with other compositions within the same programme. In the case of a complete performance, the order published in this score will be used.